Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

I thank Deputy Carthy and Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill. On behalf of People Before Profit, we are very happy to support it. It is simply obvious that the victims of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence should not have to live in fear of their assailants. The Minister should take very seriously the intent of this Bill and the concerns of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

I also wish to use this opportunity to highlight a case that shows it is not just about this kind of legal protection. A woman I will just call Ruth came to my office in April. She has been the victim of really horrendous violence by her ex-partner such that she required very serious medical treatment. He is issuing on a fairly regular basis death threats over the phone to her. My office has heard the messages. Gardaí have said she is in a very high-risk category. Since she came to our office her ex-partner burst through the door of her apartment with a fire extinguisher and has been caught by the Garda on this. He is facing trial for all this. He admitted guilt on that particular one but is not facing trial until January and is still free. She is living in very close proximity to her assailant and ex-partner and is pleading with the council to, as a priority, get her out of where she is to somewhere safe so he will not know where she is and therefore will be unable to threaten or attack her again. What is the response of the local council? Nothing. A response to letters, including from the Garda, my office and so on says she is number 296 on the list, end of story. There is not even a comment on the threats she is facing or that she is in a high-risk category. There is, by the way, no domestic violence officer in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. There should be one in every single local authority. This woman is living in fear. Gardaí are appealing to the local authority saying she has to be got out of this place as a matter of priority and the council is essentially washing its hands of the case. I am asking Deputy O'Callaghan, as the Minister for justice, to contact our council about this case but also because all councils should take very seriously their obligation to get women out of situations like that so they are not forced to live in close proximity to their assailants.

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